What’s happening with Odell Beckham Jr’s $20M lawsuit? Nike dealt major blow in court
Odell Beckham Jr. filed a lawsuit against Nike last fall. The sports brand recently filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit as they felt there were no grounds for the claims. This week, as both sides convened in a Portland, Oregon courtroom, Nike asked the judge to keep the proceedings closed - meaning only the legal teams representing both sides could be present.
Judge nixes Nike's attempt to close the courtroom as key details are discussed in lawsuit filed by former NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. trib.al/fP8Gs60
Nike has claimed in the past that they prefer a closed courtroom to prevent any of their brand's "trade secrets" or financial details from leaking to their competitors. They said allowing such information to be made public could open the door for rivals to poach athletes with a bigger offer.
However, Multnomah County judge Katharine von Ter Stegge allowed Business Insider journalist Matthew Kish to remain in the courtroom.
Stating that Oregon law allows for open court, she stressed that any member of the public or press is allowed in the courtroom. This was a big blow to Nike in their case against the free agent wide receiver, who they claim violated his contract with the brand last year.
The proceedings continued with both sides arguing about the dismissal of the case. Regarding financial terms, Nike refused to disclose the exact amount in front of the open court and instead referred to the earnings as 'big numbers'.
Judge Katharine von Ter Stegge finished the proceedings by saying that she will rule on the motion within the next two weeks.
Why is Odell Beckham Jr. suing Nike?
Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. filed a lawsuit against Nike in November 2022, stating that the company didn't honor his endorsement deal. In the lawsuit, he alleged that Nike owed him over $20 million that they haven't paid yet.
Free-agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. is suing Nike, claiming it did not honor his endorsement deal. Beckham released this statement: https://t.co/P8l9UGeRuK
At the time, Odell Beckham Jr. said that he kept his end of the agreement but that Nike didn't. The brand then filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit because they stated that the wide receiver had violated the terms of his contract.
Nike stated that after Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, he wore cleats that were customized for him and were not available for customers to purchase. Nike claims that the wide receiver did so without the approval of the brand and that it violated the details of his contract.
Beckham's legal team argued that although they were customized cleats, the Nike logo was still visible and that it didn't violate the terms of his contract. His representatives also argued that the publicity from him wearing the cleats drove up sales for the brand.